Despite being responsible for one of the most devastating data breaches in history, National Public Data (NPD) has resumed operations under new ownership. The platform, previously taken offline after leaking 2.9 billion personal records, including Social Security numbers, contact details, and family connections, has been relaunched by Perfect Privacy LLC, a Florida-based firm.
While the previous operator, Jerico Pictures, filed for bankruptcy following legal challenges, the NPD site is now active again under Perfect Privacy LLC.
The site not only retains its former functionality but still reportedly allows access to the very data that was compromised, igniting fresh criticism from cybersecurity experts and legal observers.
Why It Matters: The reactivation of National Public Data without major reforms illustrates how lightly regulated the data brokerage industry remains. Despite legal action, public backlash, and a breach of unprecedented scale, the same compromised records are accessible again, raising serious questions about consumer protection, data ownership, and oversight.
- Massive Breach Exposed Deeply Personal Data: In what may be the largest personal data breach to date, National Public Data exposed up to 2.9 billion records containing Social Security numbers, full names, home and email addresses, phone numbers, and family-related information. The breach affected individuals not only in the U.S. but also in the UK and Canada, leaving millions vulnerable to identity theft, fraud, and cyber exploitation.
- New Ownership, Same Risks: After the original operator, Jerico Pictures, filed for bankruptcy following legal fallout from the breach, Perfect Privacy LLC acquired and revived the NPD website. While the interface has returned, so has the compromised dataset. Hackread confirms that users can still search and access the same personal data that was leaked, raising an alarm that the change in ownership has not been accompanied by any meaningful improvement in data protection or transparency.
- Legal Actions Seek Reform, but Protection Gaps Remain: Legal actions such as Hofmann v. Jerico Pictures, Inc. seek damages and demand significant reforms, such as mandatory third-party audits, strong encryption standards, and active threat management practices, to prevent future breaches. However, since the site is now under a different entity, these demands may not apply, illustrating a loophole where liability can be evaded through ownership changes without altering operational risks or obligations.
- Security Experts Warn of Long-Term Threats: Experts, including NordPass’s Karolis Arbaciauskas, have called the reappearance of the searchable breach data a “privacy nightmare.” He emphasizes that such data can be easily exploited in phishing scams or social engineering attacks, as it includes not only identity details but contextual information like family members and addresses. Even those who opt out now may find their data already in circulation within dark web communities, where it can be traded and reused indefinitely.
- Unregulated Data Brokers Operate with Impunity: The incident spotlights how data brokers in the U.S. and other countries continue to operate in a largely unregulated space. Despite the magnitude of the breach and public outcry, there has been no federal legislation to prevent such entities from relaunching without regulatory scrutiny. The lack of systemic accountability means sensitive personal information remains a vulnerable commodity, and individuals are often left to fend for themselves after the damage is done.
Go Deeper -> National Public Data Relaunches Despite 2.9 Billion SSNs Breach – HACKREAD
National Public Data breach: What you need to know – Microsoft
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